Having the right lighting can have a huge impact on your business. It can influence everything from employee productivity to how your customers view you. So, what are the most important considerations when choosing commercial lighting? And how can you make the lighting for your business better?
Understanding Lighting for Your Business
What are the most important considerations when choosing commercial lighting?
When selecting commercial lighting, you need to be sure that it is bright enough to properly illuminate any workspaces for your employees without creating glare. Poorly lit or overly bright areas can cause eye strain and headaches, which can impact productivity.
But you also need to think about light distribution. This can impact working conditions for your employees, safety for your customers, and the appeal of your business.
The colour of your lighting matters too. In most offices, for example, it’s a good idea to select cool white tones, as this most closely replicates natural lighting. As a consequence, it boosts productivity. While softer, warmer lighting can be used to enhance ambience.
What lighting do you need for your business?
The type of commercial lighting you need depends on the nature of your business. The needs of a restaurant are entirely different to the needs of a shop, salon, or hairdresser, for example. So, before selecting lighting, it’s a good idea to break down your requirements.
- Where do you need the lighting for? – Which parts of the building will it be situated? Who is going to be using it?
- How the lighting will be used? – Is it simple ambient lighting, where panel lights will do the job? Or for displays, where recessed downlights might be more impactful. While in treatment rooms, you might be looking for more of a relaxed vibe, where floor lights could be more beneficial.
- What do you want the lighting to do? – Will the lighting be purely functional? Or are you using lighting to create a desired ambience?
- How big an area do you need your lighting to cover? – While Saxby downlights might be fine for a smaller space, Stratus base panel lights might be used for larger rooms.
What can you do to improve your commercial lighting?
There are a number of steps you can take to revamp your commercial lighting.
- Use different lights for different areas. This can not only improve the aesthetic of your premises, but can take customers on a journey. So, try using downlights to highlight specific areas or promotional products. Or brighter lights around till points. Lights with dimmer switches can also work here, giving you more control.
- Think about the colour of your lights. There is a veritable rainbow of LED lighting available. And much of it has a peel and stick interface, allowing you to deploy it anywhere with a plug socket. So, as well as practical lighting, try jazzing things up. This also means that you can easily change your lighting to suit your promotions.
- Commercial premises don’t necessarily need commercial lighting. While strip lights and panels are fine in a retail environment, it’s worth looking at domestic lighting for a less utilitarian aesthetic. Tubular uplighters are statuesque and contemporary, and work well in spas, restaurants, or even smaller shops with a more intimate feel. While mirror lights can give your dressing room a real star quality.
Commercial lighting can be hard to get right. But it can have a significant impact on your business. On how your staff feel. On whether customers are happy to visit you again. So, it’s worth taking the time to get your business lighting right.
View First Choice Lighting’s commercial lighting range. Or get in touch with us for other trade enquiries.
